It is a general object of the present disclosure to provide a closure and container package that includes a seal disk induction or otherwise sealingly bonded to the neck finish of the container both to seal the package and to provide tamper indication, and an RFID tag separate from the seal disk to confirm genuineness of the package and/or to provide information concerning the product within the package, in which the seal disk has a metal layer that is constructed to minimize or eliminate interference with communications between the RFID tag and external interrogation circuitry. Another and related object of the present disclosure is to provide a closure assembly that includes such an RFID tag and seal disk adapted to be applied to and sealed to the neck finish of a container following placement of product within the container.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A package in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure includes a container having a neck finish, and a closure having a plastic shell with a skirt externally secured to the container neck finish. A seal disk includes a metal layer on a plastic substrate. The periphery of the plastic substrate is sealingly secured to the neck finish of the container. The metal layer of the seal disk includes a circumferentially continuous outer periphery overlying the outer periphery of the plastic layer and an interrupted inner portion within said outer periphery. An RFID assembly includes an RFID tag electrically connected to an antenna. The RFID assembly is captured between the seal disk and the plastic shell, and the interruptions in the inner portion of the metal layer of the seal disk reduce or eliminate interference in communications between the RFID assembly and external interrogation circuitry. A liner disk may be disposed between the seal disk and the RFID assembly. The closure skirt may have an internal bead to engage a periphery of the liner disk and lift the liner disk off of the neck finish during removal of the closure from the container neck finish.
A closure in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure includes a plastic shell having a skirt for securement to a container neck finish, a seal disk within the closure, and an RFID assembly disposed between the seal disk and the plastic shell. The seal disk includes at least a metal layer and a plastic layer, with the metal layer having a circumferentially continuous outer periphery and an interrupted inner portion within the outer periphery. The RFID assembly includes an RFID tag electrically connected to an antenna. The interrupted inner portion of the metal layer reduces or eliminates interference with communications between the RFID assembly and external interrogation circuitry. The interrupted inner portion of the metal layer preferably includes an inner periphery and radial spokes connecting the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the metal layer. A liner disk may be disposed between the seal disk and the RFID assembly. The seal disk may be secured to the liner disk by an adhesion layer that is adapted to evaporate upon application of electrical energy to the metal layer to secure the seal disk to a container neck finish.